Consider this fair warning that the following column is going to tread heavily into the realm of the nerdy. It's about video games.

But before you tune out - since I'm assuming most readers of this column and newspaper are not avid game junkies like myself - indulge me while I make a few statements about the video game industry that may surprise you.

Fact: The average age of most video gamers as reported in a survey in 2005 is 30-years-old. While the media at large and many older adults still cling to the myth that video games are only used by kids, the reality is substantially different. Video games have been around for more than 30 years now and have evolved way beyond the simple "move colored block A to waypoint B" variety that earlier systems had in spades .

Many of the kids who grew up playing Pong on their Atari and Duck Hunt on their Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) are still playing games today. Games made for adults like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and God of War. A lot of them are even playing them with their kids, although hopefully not those two titles.

Fact: Video games are big business. In 2005, the U.S. video game industry topped $10 billion for the first time ever. Comparatively, the movie industry in 2005 took in approximately $9 billion. While it's a bit like comparing apples to oranges since the movie industry's volume is higher (movie tickets cost about $8 a pop whereas new games cost at least $40 each) it serves as further proof that this business is far from child's play.

Fact: Video games aren't going away anytime soon. If anything, the industry will only continue to grow and become an increasingly important part of the economy.

So with these factoids in mind, I present to you this guide to gaming for non-gamers. A condensed version of "Video Games for Dummies," if you will.

For now, it's simply a brief overview of games in general and a short preview of the upcoming generation of video game hardware. Perhaps I'll get more in-depth in a future column. Or better yet, if you're a non-gamer and you have a question about games, ask the expert himself by sending an email with the subject line "Attention Casey" to me at crier@csdsl.net.

If nothing else, at least you'll have a better understanding of what your kid is asking for come next Christmas. Even if that "kid" happens to be 27-years-old and married.

To start, here's a brief overview of the current video game landscape.

There are three major players in the video game hardware industry today: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. The current generation of hardware (in order of their market dominance) is the Sony PlayStation 2, the Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube.

Systems generally have a lifespan of five years before they become outdated and are replaced by newer, faster and usually better hardware. Typically, the most noticeable change in quality is in the graphics department, as game developers show off the powers of the snazzy new, expensive pieces of machinery.

Right now we're in the transition period, where these three systems have reached the end of their life and are being replaced. The Xbox 360 is Microsoft's new machine and is the first of the next generation to hit the market. You might recall the hoopla that came about this holiday season when massive shortages of the system made it the "must-have" toy of the season, with systems selling for more than double their retail price of $400.

Sony and Nintendo are releasing systems later this year - probably just in time for Christmas - although it's possible either or both systems will not ship on time. Those systems are the creatively-named Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution.

Alas, I'm out of space. Tune in next week when I'll get more in depth with explanations of how these three systems differ from one another.